The question of the fidelity of the State to the Union was first tried by the arrival at Baltimore of a certain Commissioner from the State of Mississippi, who visited that city with the object of inducing secession.  It must be understood that Baltimore is the commercial capital of Maryland, whereas Annapolis is the seat of government and the legislature—­or is, in other terms, the political capital.  Baltimore is a city containing 230,000 inhabitants, and is considered to have as strong and perhaps as violent a mob as any city in the Union.  Of the above number 30,000 are negroes and 2000 are slaves.  The Commissioner made his appeal, telling his tale of Southern grievances, declaring, among other things, that secession was not intended to break up the government but to perpetuate it, and asked for the assistance and sympathy of Maryland.  This was in December, 1860.  The Commissioner was answered by Governor Hicks, who was placed in a somewhat difficult position.  The existing legislature of the State was presumed to be secessionist, but the legislature was not sitting, nor in the ordinary course of things would that legislature have been called on to sit again.  The legislature of Maryland is elected every other year, and in the ordinary course sits only once in the two years.  That session had been held, and the existing legislature was therefore exempt from further work—­unless specially summoned for an extraordinary session.  To do this is within the power of the Governor.  But Governor Hicks, who seems to have been mainly anxious to keep things quiet, and whose individual politics did not come out strongly, was not inclined to issue the summons.  “Let us show moderation as well as firmness,” he said; and that was about all he did say to the Commissioner from Mississippi.  The Governor after that was directly called on to convene the legislature; but this he refused to do, alleging that it would not be safe to trust the discussion of such a subject as secession to “excited politicians, many of whom, having nothing to lose from the destruction of the government, may hope to derive some gain from the ruin of the State!” I quote these words, coming from the head of the executive of the State and spoken with reference to the legislature of the State, with the object of showing in what light the political leaders of a State may be held in that very State to which they belong.  If we are to judge of these legislators from the opinion expressed by Governor Hicks, they could hardly have been fit for their places.  That plan of governing by the little men has certainly not answered.  It need hardly be said that Governor Hicks, having expressed such an opinion of his State’s legislature, refused to call them to an extraordinary session.